Band – The Band… album review

In Turntable Talk Dave said: This time around, we’re going Sans Sophomore Slump. We all remember the triumphant debuts to the scene by The Knack, Meat Loaf, the Ramones…but how many recall, let alone listen to ‘But the Little Girls Understand’, ‘Dead Ringer’s or ‘Leave Home’… the follow-ups for them? In other words a great 2nd album by any artist. Many times, that 2nd album is rushed, or the artist used all of their songs for the first album. The example I use is The Knack. It was a great fun first album and a bad second. 

Thank you, Dave, for including me in this so I can talk about this great album. There were a few that came to mind while doing this. The Who’s A Quick One, Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks, Carole King Tapestry, and many more but I decided on this great Americana band that was actually most Canadian. The album is called The Band, and its nickname is The Brown Album. Their first album was Music From Big Pin,k and it was released in 1968. This album was released in 1969. 

They recorded this album not in a recording studio but at Sammy Davis’s house in California. They remodeled the adjacent pool house into a recording studio. The Band fashioned a makeshift workshop environment similar to the one at their former home, Big Pink. The album peaked at #2 in Canada, #9 on the Billboard 100, and #25 in the UK.

The album is said to be a concept album about a past America. It’s an album that every rock fan should own. While even novice fans of the group likely know classics like “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” and “Up on Cripple Creak,” the record is an amazing listening experience from beginning to end. Robbie Robertson’s lyrics weave fluidly from one song to the next, while the musical accompaniment never disappoints.

Robertson wasn’t just a songwriter.  He was more of a director and screenwriter, tailoring roles that played to the strengths of his three leading men. He did have 3 lead singers to work with who could have fronted 3 other bands. They knew each other so well that he could pick who sang what and when. His songwriting process had more in common with films than rock songs.  Robertson would go to flea markets and antique stores to purchase screenplays. That’s how he wrote songs…like it was a screenplay. 

The man not only was a great storyteller, but many of his songs were mini-movies you could visualize. Who couldn’t imagine the drunkard and his sweetheart defender Bessie betting on horses up on Cripple Creek?  Those are not just songs; they are visual pictures sent through music that only Robertson could write. We continue to benefit from his hard work and gift…and always will.

Manuel was the most versatile singer in the Band. He was called the lead singer if someone asked. Manuel took the lead vocals on Across The Great Divide, Rockin’ Chair, and Jawbone, and shared it in King Harvest. Of all the singers, Manuel is overlooked more than the other two. It’s probably because he wasn’t singing lead on the huge “hits” such as The Weight, Up On Cripple Creek, and The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down. He does sing on one of my favorite Band songs ever…King Harvest (Has Surely Come). I didn’t realize how great a voice he had until I heard him sing Georgia On My Mind. 

Levon had that great southern voice that was earthy and soulful. Robertson knew just when to use Levon, and he did strengthen Robertson’s songs. Rick Danko had the most vulnerable voice of all three. I never quite heard a voice like his before or since. The amount of talent they had was staggering. I’m talking about voices here, but I haven’t even mentioned the musical skills of these guys. Garth Hudson, who recently passed, played keyboards like NO other. I mean no other. He made a massive wall of sound in the background that identified them from other bands. His approach to his sound was so unique that it’s not copied much because it has to be in the right musical surroundings. Robertson has said that there was no one like him period. 

This album contains some of their best-known and best tracks. Let’s look at some of the tracks. Now, is this as good as Music from Big Pink? I think so and in some ways, I like it more. I think it was their best album when all is said and done. I could yack and yack more…but just listen to the album!

Across The Great Divide, Rag Mama Rag, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, Up On Cripple Creek, Whispering Pines, King Harvest (Has Surely Come), When You Are Awake, Jemima Surrender, Rockin’ Chair, Look Out Cleveland, Jawbone, and The Unfaithful Servant. 

What a tracklist that is. 

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

36 thoughts on “Band – The Band… album review”

    1. That is a great way of putting it yes…they do sound old along with their pictures that look like they are from the 1800s in some of them. It’s like a medicine show feel…although I’ve never seen a medicine show.

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  3. Pingback: Band – The Band… album review – MobsterTiger

  6. thanks again for taking part MAx, and a great pick you made. Definitely an album that had a number of great songs , matched if not bettered their first one and influenced a lot of people in music. “King Harvest” really is a fine, under-rated song of theirs

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    1. Yea it got me listening to Stage Fright again as well…that was a good album…not this great but really good. This album is wonderful though…it’s like someone said…they sounded old at the time they released their music.

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  7. you forgot, Godfather 2!…..anyway, I always like the story of Ronnie Hawkins bringing the Hawks north into Canada, discovered Robbie Robertson and had him practise and practice to get that kid to play the way he wanted…..the Hawk also trained others like Pat Travers (boom boom out goes the lights) to become the best they could be…and oh yeah, the Hawk did that moon walk way before MJ….

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    1. I just wrote up a Ronnie Hawkins post that I may post Sunday…yea he got them tight and in shape. He was kinda like John Mayall….training a lot of future musicians.

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    1. Thanks Randy…I didn’t either. I saw The Last Waltz in the mid 1980s and went out and bought a greatest hits. It was years later I listened to their albums…hey….they are much more than their hits.

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  10. Beautifully written tribute to The Band and The Brown Album. These guys were all musical geniuses. How else could this follow up to Music from the Big Pink be arguably as great or even greater? Fantastic band. Fantastic album.

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    1. Thanks Pam… one of the best sophmore efforts by anyone. I loved how Robbie would use screen plays as a guide…it made for some great storytelling.

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  12. Instant classic. A proper band in all senses of the word, everyone had their part to play- literally. And the whole was more than the parts; everyone together added that little bit extra.

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  13. A truly great album. In a career filled with great songs, the high point for me is “Up On Cripple Creek”. It just makes me smile every time I hear it. Another great second album that comes to mind is Sailin’ Shoes by Little Feat.

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    1. It’s such a great story song…Up On Cripple Creek. I listened to it twice today and The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down. He made it feel so personal.
      Yea I like that Little Feat song as well.

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  18. Man, I am so partial to these guys. I was a follower from the get-go, and this album might be one of the best of the 1960s and even nowadays. Good stuff, Max, you dig and dig until you find the gems.

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    1. Phil…someone yesterday said that even when they came out…they sounded old. They did have that feeling in the songs and looks. Up On Cripple Creek could have been a folk song from the 1800s.

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      1. You are right on,Max. I love that tune. Now, they are all gone to the big pink house in the sky, along with Norman Greenbaum. I think the Dylan movie portrays them well, especially Robbie, who I didn’t know had such a tight friendship with ole Bob.

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      2. I’ve read Robbie’s book…yea they were really tight and Bob would come over to the pink house and play with them constantly after that big World Tour.

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      4. Phil…it’s almost like a book from the early 1900s…they were going to hold up a mob poker game for money. The book takes you everywhere…plus Robbie’s family were in the Jewish mob. It’s a great read!

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  19. This has always been my favorite album, and Whispering Pines my favorite song. Those who only know the Last Waltz don’t know how good of a singer Manuel was before he lost his voice. They should listen to the live Rock of Ages album.

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    1. I love that album…one of the best live albums I’ve heard. Allen Toussaint wrote some cool horns for that album….yea I agree with you.

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